(19)
(11) EP 0 822 520 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
14.06.2000 Bulletin 2000/24

(43) Date of publication A2:
04.02.1998 Bulletin 1998/06

(21) Application number: 97305627.8

(22) Date of filing: 25.07.1997
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: G06T 15/10, G06T 15/20
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

(30) Priority: 31.07.1996 JP 21777496

(71) Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
Tokyo 141 (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Yamaguchi, Yuji, Sony-Kihara Res. Center Inc.
    Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo (JP)
  • Yoshimori, Masaharu, c/o Sony Corporation
    Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141 (JP)
  • Osawa, Hiroyuki, c/o Sony Corporation
    Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141 (JP)
  • Iida, Ryohei, c/o Sony-Kihara Res. Center Inc.
    Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo (JP)
  • Taniguchi, Kazuo, c/o Sony Corporation
    Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141 (JP)

(74) Representative: Turner, James Arthur et al
D. Young & Co., 21 New Fetter Lane
London EC4A 1DA
London EC4A 1DA (GB)

   


(54) Method and apparatus for generating pictures


(57) A system for mapping texture data at high speed with flexibility to different applications wherein texture data is sent to a memory interface (MEMIF) thorough a digital differential analyzer (DDA) and a texture mapping unit (TMAP) and loaded to free areas of a Z coordinatory memory (ZBUF) and a drawing data memory (FBUF). A Z coordinate value or drawing data is read/written through a bidirectional port. The TMAP converts texture coordinates into a physical address, reads texture data from dedicated read ports of the ZBUF and the FBUF with the physical address, and maps the texture data. Each of the ZBUF and the FBUF has a DRAM unit and an auxiliary memory. Data of one row of the DRAM unit can be sent to the auxiliary memory means at a time. When desired texture data is not present in the auxiliary memory, data of the entire row of the desired texture data is sent to the auxiliary memory and then read.






Search report